Happy Birthday, Love
by Tokyo Rabbit
Summary: On your birthday, when all alienate you and set you upon a pedestal, what greater gift can you receive than true love? A series of Romantic One Shots.


_ TR- Wee! Today is my birthday. Feel the unbridled power of another year! Muwhahahahaha! Ahem. But for the occasion, I thought of giving you guys something.   
(6.7.02) _

**TR-** Well, I was looking over my stories of old that I resolved needed a touch up or two and fell in love with this short shot all over again. It's just so simple and wonderful, I can't believe I wrote something so uncomplicated. So I'm going to pick it up again. 

Disclaimers- I do not own Sailor Moon, but I do own the names that I gave to the royalty who normally don't have 'past' names (i.e. Mercury, Mars, etc.). 

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Happy Birthday   
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
By Tokyo Rabbit   
____________________ 

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_ Princess Serenity of the Moon- June   
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"Today I am seventeen! Watch out universe!" I joked as I stood before the full length mirror in my room. 

It was only moments away until I had to make my appearance to the Silver Court and here I was, kidding around before my mirror. Hmm... kid. No, I was no longer a kid. A young woman on the brink of making her mark in the stars! No matter how hard the elders might try to push me back down to that degrading status of child. I WAS a young woman now! 

"But it was fun being a kid...." I mused. 

Things such as long naps in the plush, green grass, moments of ice cream, dreams of candy, and the license to wear informal attire had all began to slip away from my grasp as soon as I had turned fifteen. But such things were slowly replaced by long walks in the gardens, moments of wonder, dreams of true love, and the license of diplomatic power. It was not that bad of a trade off. 

But there I stood in front of my reflection making faces. Champion face maker! 

"Serenity, it is time," a soft, familiar voice broke my concentration. 

It was Princess Talaria, Sailor Mercury. She was wearing a light blue dress of soft silk in contrast to my white dress of heavy satin. 

Talaria stepped in quietly and shut the door behind her, "You look wonderful." 

"Thank you. You look heavenly as well, Talaria," I smiled at my long-time friend and tutor. 

"Here. I wanted to give this to you before you stepped out into the masses," she smiled and handed me a small parcel. "It is from the girls and I." 

Surprised and moved, I carefully pulled at the silver ribbon and watched as the silver and blue cloth unfolded, "Oh!" 

She took the object from my hand and fixed it into my silver hair, "There." 

The sterling silver rose pendent twinkled in the light as it set in front of one of my traditional buns of hair. In the small, metallic petals there were tiny beautiful stones of an intricate rainbow of splendor. Eight stones of eight different colors representing each of my Soldiers who guarded me. Eight stones representing eight planets... all but Earth.... 

"Thank you! It is so beautiful!" With a genuine smile on my face, I turned and hugged her. 

"Now," she said as she embraced me in return, "the rest of the Silver Court is waiting to see you, Moon Princess." 

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"Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Silver Court-- your princess, Serenity of the Moon," I heard someone announce regally. 

Inhaling and exhaling deeply in a state of nervousness, I nearly popped out of my dress... well, not really. You see, that was also another aspect of adulthood that I began to appreciate-- an adult body. Of course my mother and mentors wished that my necklines would become actual necklines, but was I not suppose to wed soon and provide an heir to my throne? Men, as I was finding, loved this sort of thing and my vast hunger for mischief loved to see them squirm. 

Gracefully I began to take my slow, angelic flight down the long pristine stairs of white marble and ivy. The whole room was at a standstill, or maybe that was just the butterflies in my stomach creating illusions. Perhaps more or less my fuming mind; never, in all my years of doing this, had I gotten used to making these unimportant, dramatic appearances. 

An age seemed to drip by as I finally made it down the stairs (without tripping, thank goodness), through the crowd, and to my throne which sat next to my mother's much larger chair of nobility. And so, the ball in my honor began. 

"Happy birthday Serenity, darling," my mother leaned over to me. 

"Thank you, Mother," I smiled happily. 

Soon after the ball began to bore me as my young and adventurous mind began to take over my imagination and curiosity. Dancing and more dancing. Finally, I gently and politely excused myself from my current dancing partner and slipped out into the cool night. 

"Much better," I whispered to myself as my fleeing feet carried me to a sheet of ice that resided in the rose gardens. 

As my feet touched the wonderfully heavenly ice, my silvery glass slippers donned blades. This was my sport, ice skating. Nothing in the universe could calm me so and make me feel so free. It was my forte, my calling and no one was better at it than I. 

The minutes slipped by and became half hours. Time had run away from me and had not come into my consciousness until I felt two eyes upon me. Not wanting to become too paranoid over something I was sure was trifle, I slowed my pace and quit with the twirls and expert moves. Slowly I glided around the circle and heaven looking cautiously around. 

Perhaps it was time to rejoin my guests. When I became Queen I would not have such a luxury as sneaking out in the middle of a party just to be by my own. 

I stepped into the starlit rose gardens again and my skates reverted back into slippers. Another luxury I will not have when I am Queen: I stooped down to remove my painful shoes. I would walk barefooted everywhere if I could but it was unethical and ever so unlady-like. Ug. Adulthood did have its disadvantages. 

So caught up in my pondering was I that I did barely notice the figure in front of me. I came to an abrupt halt and a small, princessly gasp escaped my rosy lips. Before me in the shade of night was a man peering into the distance. Apparently dances were not his thing either. 

"Excuse me--" I broke off in astonishment as his startling blue eyes quickly met my crystal ones, "I, uh...." 

"Did I startle you?" His voice sounded like a storm far away rolling in over the hills ever so gently. 

Caught off guard again, now by his purr, I lied. "No." 

His handsome face lightened into a slow smile which looked more and more like a smirk. "I did." 

Caught again! Confounded! He was just so handsome! "I say that you did not." 

His towering, strong figure shifted easily in front of me, "I would say that you are lying to me." 

Would he ever stop?! 

"I-- uh... er...." I fumbled with my words most unprincessly. 

The handsome stranger chuckled, "Now I have caught you." 

"So it seems." I could not help but smile, "What are you doing out here?" 

"I was about to ask the Moon Princess the same, missing her own ball." Again I was rewarded with his knee-weakening smile, but he sighed and turned back to the roses, "I dislike such events." 

With a quick side glance at me, he added, "No offense of course, your Majesty." 

"None taken, kind Sir," I smiled once again and stood next to him gazing at the roses, "And so I will reward you with my own confession: I detest dancing." 

And again came his heart-stopping chuckle, so near to me that I blushed, "A princess detest dancing? Never had I heard of such an offense." 

"Offense?" I turned to look at him, surprised once again by his strange remarks, "Offense to whom?" 

"To your title," he met my dumbfounded gaze with his own cool, sure expression. 

"I must say that not all princesses are-- are...." Good grief! My words left me with every laugh, smile, and piercing gaze he sent my way. This was something that I was not accustomed to and it was irritating the hell out of me. 

"Dancers?" He laughed. 

He was mocking me! Now I was angry. _"Sir!_ I must ask of you your name so I may know who is so bold!" 

"King Endymion, Ambassador of Earth and Keeper of the Golden Imperium Crystal," he stooped to the cobblestone ground in a sweeping mock bow, "My Lady." 

So I got my answer and was shocked for the countless time that night, slightly displeased with it. In certain ways this man was my superior, as I was his. 

"Well, your Majesty," I returned his mockery in my own curtsey, "Let me inform you that being a princess is only a title from which people respect you as." 

"And is it not a title in which one must live up to?" 

"And how must one do that exactly?" I nearly snapped back at him. 

"By acting appropriately and setting duty of blood and nobility before," his eyes sent unwanted chills through my body as they caressed my body over, assessing my appearance, "Ice skating and walking around barefooted." 

I looked down at my now slightly dirty feet and then back at Endymion with spite...! He was smiling?! He was enjoying himself! And instead of lashing out with an angry retort of my own, I began to laugh. How could I not? It was such an awkward and strange situation. 

I watched him carefully with a fresh smile on my face, "It was you... watching me on the ice." 

"Guilty," Endymion smiled and his face, I could have sworn, turned as light shade of pink. 

Trying to save ourselves form an awkward situation, I turned my attention to the roses once again, "They are such a beautiful variety of flower." 

"Yes, beautiful indeed." I still felt his eyes on me and his statement seemed to hold some secret meaning. He turned his gaze to them as well, "Beautiful and ever so frail looking, but dangerous if one does not know how to handle them." 

He bent down and grasped one gently. I was about to protest in fear of the thorns pricking him but he pulled back with one single rose in his hand. I saw no abrasions or blood-- good. 

"For you," the young king offered to me. 

Flattered, I accepted it and looked up at him with a slight tint to my cheek, "Some how I think that there is more to your statement...." 

Another smirk played across his lips, "Perhaps." 

I liked him, King Endymion. There was something about him that made me feel safe and warm rather than and overprotected child and brash. 

"I have decided, Ambassador of Earth, that I like you after all." A lot, I added mentally. 

"I like you too, Moon Princess." 

A thought crossed my mind and I took his hand in mine, "Have you been ice skating?" 

"Uh-- no... I do not believe I have...." Now it was his turn to be surprised as I dragged him off to the ice. 

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TR- Wee! Who's birthday would you like to see next? _

6.7.02   
First edit   
10.22.03 


End file.
